In one of the highest mountains of the Central Continent, three ladies stood at the top.
Wendy and Estelle, who had disappeared from the Ainsworth Empire, sat calmly while sipping the cup of tea in their hands.
A blizzard was raging around them, and yet, both of them were undisturbed, thanks to the barrier that kept it at bay.
Seated across them was a young lady wearing a fox mask. She too was sipping her own cup of tea, as they waited for one more person to arrive.
“You sure chose a nice place for an afternoon tea party.”
A cold voice spread in the surroundings.
“Having a change of pace is nice, too,” Shannon replied as she placed her cup on top of the table and glanced in the direction where the voice had come from. “You’re a bit late. Did you get lost or something?”
A black-haired beauty, who was mounted on top of a Roc, descended inside the barrier. She then glanced at the faces of the other two people. After seeing that one of them was Wendy, Belle arched an eyebrow before shiting her attention to the lady wearing a mask.
“I didn’t come here to act chummy with you people,” Belle said as she stared at Shannon. “Get to the point. Why did you call me here?”
Shannon smiled. “This will be a long chat, so why don’t you sit down first?”
“I didn’t come here to chat. I’ll ask again, why did you send me that letter?”
“Not wasting any time are we? Fine. I will tell you the reason why I called you here. It’s about William.”
A frown appeared on Belle’s face after hearing Shannon’s words. She had come to this meeting spot fully prepared to fight, just in case it was a trap in order to capture or kill her. But, she never expected that their talk would involve the Half-Elf whom she had long wanted to meet.
“What about him?” Belle inquired. “Did he send you here?”
Shannon shook her head. “Of course not. This is a secret meeting between the four of us. Having him here would just complicate things. So, let me ask again, are you sure you don’t want to sit? This will be a long chat.”
Belle remained standing and only crossed her arms around her chest. She didn’t trust Shannon enough to accept her invitation.
Seeing that the black-haired beauty was adamant on standing, the young fox lady only chuckled before taking a blank canvas out of her storage ring.
“I don’t know what kind of information the Pope has fed you about William, and don’t care about it,” Shannon explained. “But, I know for a fact that you are not his enemy. After all, you are his wife, are you not?”
Belle shifted her gaze to Wendy, who had already placed her cup on top of the table and looked at her with a calm expression on her face.
“Did you tell her?” Belle inquired.
“Tell her what?” Wendy asked back. “I don’t even know if you are married to Will.”
Estelle who was seated beside Wendy just listened while appraising the black-haired beauty in front of her.
She had long wanted to marry William, and yet before she could do that, not only did the Half-Elf marry other girls when he was in the Central Continent, he also married the black-haired lady, who was currently a part of the Holy Order of Light that was antagonizing her fiance.
After seeing Wendy’s reaction, Belle understood that the blonde-haired Valkyrie truly didn’t know that she was already married to William.
“How did you know then?” Belle asked Shannon. “We were married on Earth. How can you possibly know that information?”
Shannon smiled as she lightly tapped the blank canvas with her fingertips.
“I know many things, but not all of them,” Shannon replied. “Still, I know enough to know that you are not William’s enemy. Also, I know why you’re continuing to stay on the side of the Holy Order of Light. I believe that all four of us can collaborate to achieve the best outcome possible.”
“What best outcome are you talking about?” Belle asked.
“Saving William, of course,” Shannon replied. “Although I am very fond of his black hair, I still prefer the red-headed prince I got to know before Darkness claimed his soul.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You don’t have to believe me. At least, not yet.”
Shannon smiled as the white canvas in her hands started to shine.
“First, let me tell you his story from the very beginning,” Shannon said as colorful images erupted from her white canvas, forming a projection similar to a movie screen. “Once upon a time, there was a Half-Elf born in the Silvermoon Continent… and he was given the name, William Von Ainsworth.”
—–
Somewhere in the Central Continent…
“Sorry, I’m a bit late,” a young lady with shoulder-length blue hair said as soon as her flying ship landed on the ground. “Things are getting hectic inside the Palace of Light and I didn’t want the others to be suspicious of my departure.”
“It’s fine,” William replied as he gazed at the blue-haired beauty who had milked him for Merit Points in order to buy the latest fashion clothes from Vickie’s Secret. “You look beautiful in that dress, Shana.”
“I bet you say that to all of your lovers.”
“Beautiful things are beautiful. Or, would you rather have me say that the dress didn’t suit you? I would be lying if I said that.”
Shana was wearing a black cocktail dress that highlighted her hair, and eyes, making them stand out. She never had the chance to wear something like this inside the Palace of Light because she knew that the Pope, as well as the bishops, would deem it as “inappropriate clothing”, for someone of her stature.
The Virtuous Lady of Prudence gave William a sweet smile as she walked up to him to give him a hug.
“I’m glad you are back,” Shana said. “How was your trip to the Underworld?”
William hugged Shana back before sighing. “There have been some ups and downs, but overall, it was an eye opening experience. How about you? Is everything fine on your side?”
“I’d like to say yes, but I would be lying if I said that. Everyone is on edge, and the Pope seemed to be up to something again.” Shana complained. “Although she hasn’t ordered any attacks after your steward sent us my sisters’ severed arms, I’m sure that she’s cooking up something big that will explode in your face sooner or later.”
William nodded his head in understanding.
“Don’t worry. Everything will end soon. Did you bring them?”
“Of course. Please, make sure to return them to their rightful owners.”
Shana summoned a white ornate box that was over a meter long. She then opened it to show the Half-Elf’s its contents, which made the latter sigh.
“I wished it never came to this,” William said softly before taking the box inside his storage ring. “I promise to return them to their rightful owners. Also, I’ll make sure that they will be reattached properly.”
Shana nodded as she once again gave William a hug. “I can’t stay for long because the Pope might get suspicious. Whatever you are doing, do it quickly. My sisters and I are on your side.”
“Thank you, Shana,” William replied. “Are you sure you don’t want to be one of my lovers?”
“Thank you for the offer, but I think I’ll pass… at least for now,” Shana gave William a playful wink before tiptoeing to kiss his lips. “That one was from Lira.”
A second later, she kissed William’s lips again. Her hands rested on the black-haired teenager’s shoulders, giving her support, so she could kiss him properly.
“This one is from Ephemera,” Shana said softly before pressing her lips once again to the Half-Elf. This time, the kiss was longer than the first two. When the kiss ended, Shana pulled back before looking up at William with expectation.
“That will be 10,000 Merit Points,” Shana stated. “Give me this month’s theme dress from Vickie’s Secret!”
“…”
William was left speechless as the Virtuous Lady of Prudence demanded the latest design from her favorite brand for just a single kiss.
“A kiss is not enough for ten thousand Merit Points.”
“Tsk. You’re stingy as ever. Fine. Let’s do it your way.”
Several minutes later, a flushed Shana returned to her flying ship with a satisfied look on her face.
In her hands was a beautiful red box, with the brand name “Vickie’s Secret” embossed in gold letters.
Although her clothes had been loosened in a few places, revealing one of her breasts, she had a pleased expression on her face as she held the box that contained the dress she wanted.
William and her had a “fair exchange” which made both sides happy. For her, who liked fashion, giving the Half-Elf a little service was a small price to pay for her new hobby.
“I’ll wait for you in the Palace of Light, Will.” Shana waved her hand to bid goodbye to the person that sucked her blood from her… “If you manage to handle this properly, I’ll consider making you my lover.”
The flying ship rose steadily towards the sky before heading towards the East. Now that she had delivered the things that the black-haired teenager had asked for, she felt more at ease knowing that the things that her sisters had lost during William’s absence, would finally be returned to them, and make them feel complete once again.
